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Neiman Marcus
Presents
the Art of Fashion
to Benefit NBAF
thursday, March 15, 2018
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Fine Art + Fashion brings together lovers of art and fashion with scholarship and
award recipients, among them Georgia students who are emerging talents in fashion
design, visual artists and a designer extraordinaire all of African descent.
Join us for a truly spectacular evening of fun, fashion and art but its impact extends
far beyond the event and the evening!

For reservations or sponsorship information,
see fact sheet online at nbaf.org or contact
Judy Hanenkrat at jhanenkrat@nbaf.org or 404.372.4572

N B A F. o r g

President’s Letter

O

ne hundred years ago, an ambitious new
venture opened its doors in downtown Atlanta.
Debuting as the largest movie house in the
Southeast and boasting the largest electric sign south
of New York City, the Rialto was emblematic of the
booming, bustling city it called home. Motion pictures
were still a relatively new art form, but the Rialto gave
this new technology a fitting home in the heart of a city
on the move, offering Atlantans the latest in arts and
entertainment from across the globe. While the theater
has seen many changes over the last century (including a completely new structure that
replaced the original in 1962), the Rialto has steadfastly anchored its corner of downtown and has consistently adapted to the changes taking place around it.
One of the biggest changes came 21 years ago this season when the Rialto reintroduced itself to the city as the Rialto Center for the Arts after Georgia State University
acquired it and an ambitious overhaul of the building began. No longer a temple to
just the motion-picture arts, the Rialto was now a state-of-the-art space dedicated to
bringing the very best in performing arts to the university community, to Atlanta and
to the region. Welcoming everything from contemporary dance and classic jazz to
world music and bluegrass, the Rialto quickly established itself as the city’s most eclectic performing arts venue showcasing the unfamiliar and the unexpected alongside the
classics and rediscovered gems.
Just as Georgia State University is committed to inquiry and exploration and to
bringing the very best students, academics, researchers, athletes and administrators
from across the nation and the world to Atlanta, the Rialto is committed to showcasing
the finest performers and performances the world has to offer here in downtown. And
this new season is no exception: You can experience classic American jazz musicians
and vocalists; Middle Eastern music with a modern edge; dance from Argentina,
Spain, France and New York City; Cuban music and salsa bands; a cappella South
African harmonies; and much more. I can guarantee that there will be something
awe-inspiring for everyone.
Whether you’ve been with the Rialto for the last two decades or are joining us for
the first time, attending one performance or 10, we hope you’ll join us, explore new
and perhaps unfamiliar artists, and add your voice to a conversation that’s been taking
place at the Rialto for more than 100 years.

he music career of legendary tenor
man Pharoah Sanders spans
more than 50 years. He’s been
captivating audiences and thrilling fans the
world over with his passionate playing and
universal sax appeal, constantly challenging
the boundaries with his unique, colorful
style, pushing beyond the barriers of jazz
toward an unfettered, almost mystical
sound.
Born Ferrell Sanders on Oct. 13,
1940, in Little Rock, Ark., his initial
accomplishments were in fine art and his
musical career began on clarinet. In high
school, he discovered his affinity for jazz
and proficiency on tenor saxophone. After
graduating in 1959, he moved to Oakland
and became known in the Bay Area as
“Little Rock,” playing bebop, rhythm
& blues and free jazz with many of the
region’s finest musicians. It was there he
met and befriended John Coltrane, though
they didn’t perform together until 1965
as part of Trane’s final quintet. Sanders
relocated to New York City in 1961 and
was destitute until he met and began
performing with Sun Ra, the great cosmic

bandleader, who bestowed a new moniker
on the young artist: “Pharoah.”
Sanders came to greater prominence
with Coltrane’s band in 1965/67, as Trane
adopted the avant-garde jazz of Albert
Ayler, Sun Ra and Cecil Taylor. Though
he made his name playing expressionistic,
nearly anarchic free jazz in Coltrane’s late
ensembles of the mid-’60s, Sanders’ music
today is more graceful and melodic.
This musical giant, revered as one of
the “holy trinity of spiritual jazz,” now
uses his masterful sax skills and probing
soul to navigate the deep currents of jazz
traditions. With one of the most distinctive
sounds in jazz, Sanders’ music can be raw
and fierce or harmonically rich as he moves
between chaos and beauty. Drawing on his
travels in Japan with Coltrane’s group and
incorporating African rhythms, Sanders
believes it is possible “… to enlighten the
world through music, because music is a
universal language.”
At 77, Sanders still has the magic touch,
negotiating chord changes with ease and
finesse, speaking the language of music
through his sax, as only he can do.

Atlanta’s Performing Arts Publication | encoreatlanta.com 11

#RialtoDance

Ailey II | Oct. 21, 8 pm

JESSICA AMBER PINKETT. PHOTO BY KYLE FROMAN

AILEY II

The Next Generation of Dance
Troy Powell, Artistic Director

F

or more than 40 years, Ailey II has merged the
spirit and energy of the country’s best young
dance talent with the passion and creative vision
of today’s most outstanding emerging choreographers.
Launched in 1974 as the Alvin Ailey Repertory
Ensemble, Ailey II embodies Alvin Ailey’s pioneering

mission to establish
an extended cultural
community that provides
dance performances,
training and community
programs for all people.
Ailey personally selected
dancer Sylvia Waters to
lead this junior company,
and as its artistic director
for 38 years, she developed
Ailey II into one of
America’s most popular
dance ensembles. In June
2012, Waters retired,
naming her longtime
associate Troy Powell as
the new artistic director.
Ailey II continues to thrive
as Powell brings fresh
dimensions to the beloved
company.
Ailey II maintains
the legacy of its founder,
inspiring in all a universal
celebration of the human
spirit using the AfricanAmerican cultural
experience and the American modern dance tradition.
Delivering pristine, mesmerizing performances with
dynamic movement and near flawless fluidity, Ailey
II achieves the perfect mix of unbridled vitality and
technical excellence.
With astounding agility and youthful verve, Ailey II
is a “breathtaking combination of athleticism and poise
… off-the-charts energy … indefatigable, virtuosic and
relentlessly sexy.” Dance Magazine calls Ailey II “second
to none” and, says The New York Times, “the entire
company looks terrific. Clearly, the future is theirs.”
A highlight of the Rialto performance is a new work
by Atlanta native Juel D. Lane, commissioned by Alvin
Ailey Dance Foundation, Inc. for the 2017/18 season.

Troy Powell,
artistic director
Troy Powell is only the
second person to lead Ailey
II since its inception in 1974.
The native New Yorker
began his dance training
at age 9 as an Ailey School
scholarship student. He
joined Ailey II when he
graduated from the High
School of Performing Arts
and, in 1991, joined Alvin Ailey
American Dance Theater.
He toured the United States,
South America, Europe
and South Africa with the
company for 10 years before
becoming a master teacher
at The Ailey School and
resident choreographer
of Ailey II. Powell has
choreographed ballets for
Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theater, Ailey II, The Ailey
School, Dallas Black Dance
Theater, the National Dance
Company of the Bahamas
and Alaska Dance Theater,
as well as three episodes
of “Sesame Street.” He has
been featured with the Ailey
company in an American
Express commercial and
has made TV appearances
in George C. Wolfe’s The
Colored Museum; “PBS
Great Performances:
Dance in America special”
A Hymn for Alvin Ailey,
choreographed by Judith
Jamison; “America’s Next Top
Model”; and, most recently,
the Polish version of “So You
Think You Can Dance.”

Atlanta’s Performing Arts Publication | encoreatlanta.com 13

#RialtoATL

Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton | Oct. 28, 8 pm

L

isa Fischer’s talent has filled
stadiums, concert halls and
arenas around the world
for more than 25 years. With her
range, intonation and stage mastery,
the Grammy Award winner’s voice
has been described as “a wondrous
instrument that can seamlessly blend
classical, jazz, soul, gospel, rock and
folk into the same song and sometimes
the same sentence.”
Many of Fischer’s performances in
recent decades have been as a backup
singer for such legendary acts as the
Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Beyoncé,

Sting, Dolly Parton, Bobby McFerrin,
Luther Vandross, Nine Inch Nails and
Yo-Yo Ma, but now she’s front and
center with her band, Grand Baton.
Fischer began touring with the
Stones in 1989, gaining popularity
from her duets with Mick Jagger. With
the 1991 release of her debut album, So
Intense — and its Grammy-winning
single, “How Can I Ease the Pain,” she
found success as a solo artist.
Still, for the next two decades, she
continued doing background vocals,
writing music and supporting other
singers as — in her words — a “tuning

fork,” instead of focusing on her solo career.
In October 2012, Fischer joined the Stones
for the band’s 50 & Counting Tour, staying
with them for the next 10 months.
Then Twenty Feet From Stardom,
Morgan Neville’s Oscar-winning 2013
documentary about background singers,
made Fischer a star and changed the course
of her career. The film featured clips of the
Fischer-Jagger “Gimme Shelter” duet and
testimonials from famous colleagues.
It showcased her virtuosity and
vulnerability, earned her a second
Grammy, and left audiences eager
to see and hear more.
“Ms. Fischer
has become the
unexpected star of
Mr. Neville’s film,” wrote
The New York Times.
Now Fischer is exploring new territory.
She’s featured on new projects by Lang
Lang, Yo-Yo Ma and Billy Childs, and
recently collaborated with the Alonzo
King LINES Ballet.
On tour with Grand Baton, she
continues to draw rave reviews for
her powerhouse vocals and style, an
organic gumbo of progressive rock;
psychedelic soul; African, Middle
Eastern and Caribbean rhythms;
and classical influences.
After decades of working just
Twenty Feet From Stardom,
Fischer’s solo career has
earned her a reputation as
one of the most inventive, heartfelt
and exciting song stylists working today.

t’s a daring task to try and bridge the
chasm between peoples,” says IranianAmerican artist Azam Ali, Niyaz’s lead
singer, co-composer and co-producer. “But if we
can make that happen even for the [time] that
people are there just to listen to our music, then
who’s to say we did not triumph in our goal?”
Far more than “just listening” will occur
when Niyaz presents The Fourth Light Project.
Ali’s exquisite vocals in Dari, Farsi, Urdu and
Turkish take audiences to distant lands and
states of mind, while interactive designer/
visual artist Jérôme Delapierre, offers a
groundbreaking multimedia experience.
The Fourth Light merges live music
and sacred dance performance (a dervish)
with interactive technologies and advanced
projection/body-mapping techniques. It
defies most standards of world music and
makes a bold statement to a global audience.
The Huffington Post calls Niyaz
“an evolutionary force in contemporary
Middle Eastern music” as the artists

blend medieval Sufi poetry and folk songs
from Iran and other Persian Gulf countries
with acoustic instrumentation and stateof-the-art electronics. Exotic rhythms,
outstanding acoustic performances and the
bewitching melancholy of frontwoman Ali’s
voice merge into textured arrangements,
sweeping choruses and electronic beats that
make their music authentic and original.
Yet, these musicians are not limited
by geographical and cultural boundaries.
Niyaz offers listeners a bridge between
East and West — a sanctuary in the
modern world of polarized ideologies —
embracing the collision of the old and
new to create the unique and affecting.
By stepping into a future that is ancient,
inviting audiences to embark upon a
philosophical quest into the human depths
with a message of hope against injustice and
oppression, Niyaz “creates something that
transcends religion and culture and shows
people that at the core we are all the same.”

f you’re in need of holiday cheer, the Gala
Holiday Concert is the perfect place to be.
Join us for this acclaimed celebration of the
season, as the Georgia State University School of
Music presents the 20th annual performance.
More than 200 student and faculty musicians
from the Georgia State University Symphony
Orchestra, choruses, Jazz Band and community
ensembles perform holiday favorites. Bring the
entire family for this acclaimed Atlanta tradition.

“Treat your ears to some
seasonal tunes at the Gala
Holiday Concert … the more
than 200 student and faculty
musicians will surely get you
pumped up for the season.”
JEZEBEL MAGAZINE

tlanta’s Celtic Christmas is much more than a concert performance. Music, dance,
drama and humor are woven together in an evocative, inspiring performance sure to
warm the soul with the music and dance of the ages.

A cast of internationally and regionally renowned artists representing the Irish, Scottish,
Welsh and Appalachian traditions will gather for the 26th anniversary of this timeless Atlanta
tradition — a Celtic treasure for the entire family!

“Celtic Christmas is a beautiful, evocative occasion and one rich in heritage. For
lovers of Celtic music, song and culture, this is the must-see event in Atlanta each
Christmas.”
PAUL GLEASON
Consul General of Ireland (2014)

The arts matter: Through the arts, people experience their common humanity

in profound and moving ways. Each year, more than 60,000 people come together to share
the Rialtoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performances and events. We aim to entertain diverse audiences by presenting
arts programming that is both exceptional and unexpected while cultivating influential
community partnerships.
An investment in the Rialtoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future will help ensure a more connected arts community
in downtown Atlanta and provide the city with the thriving, historic performing arts venue
it needs to maintain its prominence and appeal as a premier city.
Now in its second century, the Rialto aims to heighten its impact by enhancing its
performing arts portfolio, extending its education outreach, and upgrading its technology
and infrastructure. Our next century begins now!

hen you donate to the Rialto, you enable us to further enhance and broaden our arts portfolio and educational
programming; maintain and expand the Rialto Series, featuring the best of national and international jazz, world
music and dance; and to continue building our educational outreach to high-need public school students throughout
Atlanta. With donor categories from $1 to more than $100,000, no amount is too small to contribute! We invite you
to become part of the Rialto family, and with your gift, the Rialto will be able to bring the arts to more audiences, more
classrooms and transform even more lives. For information on how to donate, please visit rialto.gsu.edu/support or
contact Suzy Blough at sblough@gsu.ed or 404-413-9821.
IMPRESARIO | $25,000+
Anonymous (3)
Mark Becker
Charles Loridans Foundation Inc.
The Erroll & Elaine Davis
Charitable Foundation
Thomas H. & Mabel Dorn
Reeder Foundation
Laura Voisinet
VIRTUOSO | $15,000-$24,999
Fulton County Arts Council
State Farm Mutual Automobile
Insurance Company
MAESTRO | $10,000-$14,999
John Bare
City of Atlanta Office
of Cultural Affairs
Community Foundation
for Greater Atlanta
Georgia Council for the Arts
David & Mary Haddow
Winnifred Smith Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dell Fund
BENEFACTOR | $5,000$9,999
100 Peachtree
Naomi M. Kirkman-Bey
South Arts
PRODUCER | $2,500-$4,999
Bill & Peg Balzer
David Caudill & Julia Bannerman
Power2Give Atlanta
Nancy Nolan &
Harold Shumacher
New England Foundation
for the Arts

TICKETS
Tickets available for purchase by phone
at 404.413.9TIX (9849), online at
rialto.gsu.edu, or in person at the Rialto box
office, 80 Forsyth St. NW (corner of Forsyth
and Luckie streets).
BOX OFICE HOURS
Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
WEBSITE
Visit rialto.gsu.edu for a complete calendar of
events or to purchase tickets 24 hours a day.
REFUNDS & EXCHANGES
All sales are final with no exchanges or
refunds. Patrons may return tickets before a
performance and receive credit for a taxdeductible donation.
USHERING
Interested in volunteering as a Rialto usher?
Sign up online or call 404.413.9845.
PARKING
The 100 Peachtree Garage (formerly the
Equitable Building parking deck) at the
corner of Fairlie and Williams streets,
provides official parking for the Rialto
Center.
SPECIAL NEEDS
The Rialto Center is fully accessible to
patrons with special needs. Wheelchair
seating can be reserved in advance. Patrons
who are TTY users, hearing impaired,
speech disabled or hard of hearing can call us
through the Georgia Relay Service at 711. For
more information about these services, please
call 866.787.6710. You can also email us at
info@rialtocenter.org.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
The exit sign closest to your seat shows the
shortest route out of the theater. In case of an
emergency, please walk to the exit.
ETIQUETTE
Please turn all cellphones and electronic
devices to silent operation upon entering the
theater. Late-arriving patrons will be seated
at the House Managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s discretion during a
pause in the performance. Please refrain from
talking during the performance.
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE
We encourage you to share your experience at
the Rialto on social media before and after the
show using #Rialto100 and #RialtoATL.
CAMERAS/RECORDING DEVICES
The use of cameras or sound/video recording
equipment without the written permission of
the management is strictly prohibited.
LOST AND FOUND
For items lost or left at the theater, please call
the House Manager at 404.413.9844.
MERCHANDISE
The Rialto has items available for purchase
at the box office including umbrellas, coffee
mugs and more.
RENT THE RIALTO
Our state-of-the art facilities offer the perfect
setting for everything from a VIP reception
to an unforgettable corporate event. For more
information, please contact Jo Costanzo
at 404.413.9814 or jcostanzo@gsu.edu.

At Encore Atlanta, we love our fans.
That’s why we frequently give away
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and the best Atlanta has to offer every
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Don’t forget to
download the free
Encore Atlanta+
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unlock bonus content
in our show programs
(and this ad).

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